Be Happy and Live Free or Die Hard
by alexceasar
Summary: The people in his life attracted trouble like honey attracts bears.


Disclaimer: BTVS is owned by Whedon and Die Hard is owned by 20th Century Fox and whoever else but me.

The people in his life attracted trouble like honey attracts bears. Running through the entrance of the emergency room, he came to understand that it was an absolute, an unwritten law of physics that if trouble was happening, it would find the ones he cared about. How messed up was that. Worse, he was starting to think of it as completely normal.

Rounding the corner he spotted his current cause for worry, Lucy. His beautiful Lucy, who could be the most stubborn person he ever met. Considering he knew dozens of Slayers, including the Two Chosen Ones, his father and Cordelia at one time, that was saying something. Lucy, who could make him relax with one smile; Lucy, who had just been held hostage by a terrorist to intimidate her father and was currently switching between smiling and laughing softly with the nurse cleaning her minor scrapes and annoying the staff trying to take care of her father's wounds every time he winced; His sweet Lucy that looked for the good in everybody even though he knew that she was aware of how awful this world and the people in it could be sometimes. Like him, her father was a hero, and not just in the traditional sense that comes with being a police officer. He father was none other than John McClane, the John McClane who had three times fought against terrorists with very little help and yet managed to save the day. Connor remembered seeing the news reports about him fighting a terrorist in New York a few years ago. And Lucy had told him about the one in LA and then at Dulles airport. And then now this happens.

He stopped for a moment to give his heart a chance to slow down and watch her. She amazed him in so many ways. Intelligent and studious, she could also be a wild child when the mood takes her. And other then her annoying stubbornness, her worst quality was her tendency to over worry. That alone was what ended their relationship he knew. Connor knew the minute he met Lucy that day at the library while waiting for Dawn that she would change his world and she has. She made him think of the future and how alone he did not want to be. He may be a fighter for the light but he would be damned if he gave up his chance at happiness. He saw that broken look in his father's heart every time he looked at the Golden Slayer and he would be damned if he would one day ware the same.

So two months ago, Connor had done the unthinkable for his circle of friends and made plans for the future. He proposed. And she ran. She broke up with him. She had watched her mother be haunted everyday wondering if her father would not make it home to her and she was not going to do the same thing. She had not talked to him in months because she was still carrying the anger related to her parents' separation due to her father's dedication to his job. She understood that Connor would be a warrior until the day he died. It was who he was but she could not see him go off to fight and wonder if that was the last time she would see him. Connor understood that. He felt it too in regards to his family and friends. But he also understood that he could no sooner stop doing it than her father could stop being a police officer. It was who they were.

Noticing the medical staff that were tending them leave, he started towards her. The man he knew was her father sighted him immediately.

"Who are you?"

"A friend." At the sound of his voice, Connor noticed Lucy freeze in the process of standing up from the gurney.

"Connor" she whispered.

"Hey, Lu." She turned quickly and stared. Stepping around the end of the gurney, she threw herself into his arms and buried her head in his neck.

"Oh, Connor, I am so glad to see you." He lowered his head to place his cheek on top of her head and breathed deeply. Her scent was almost the same, just a hint of fear added to it from recent events no doubt. He loved how she usually smelled. It made him feel like he was home.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Lucy pulled back to look into his eyes. "I was such a stupid idiot. I was just so scared of spending my life wondering if I would lose you that I ending up losing you sooner. Forgive me please."

"There's nothing to forgive, Lu. You were scared. I understand. I wasn't thrilled about it but I figured I kind of sprung it on you. I just want to you to be happy. If that means not with me, I'll hate it but I'll deal." He tilted his head down to rest his forehead against hers. "Are you happy, Lu? Well, before this happened obviously?" She laughed softly.

"No. I wasn't. But I am now that you're here."

"Not to interrupt this Hallmark moment, but will someone tell me what the hell is going on and who the hell are you?" Lucy's father interrupted. They reluctantly stepped back from each other and turned to the bed her father was occupying but remained holding hands.

"Connor, this is my dad, John McClane." Connor stuck his hand out to shake. John squeezed it tightly but it barely twinge compared to how tight Buffy had squeezed when she thought he was sleeping with Dawn. "Dad, this is Connor Angel, my fiancée." Connor and John swiftly turned their heads to look at her. Lucy smiled softly at Connor and nodded. John frowned, appearing confused.

"What?! What about that boy you were with last night?" Connor squeezed her hand slightly.

"I kind of broke up with Connor a couple months ago and my dorm mates kept bugging me to stop mopping and set me up with him. I went to shut them up. We had dinner twice and went to a movie. That's it."

"Why did you break it off?"

"It's complicated."

"Un-complicate it." He demanded.

"Connor has a job similar to yours. After watching you and Mom, I had no interest in being a cop's wife." John stared at his daughter for a few moments.

"Fair enough." He turned back to the young man that appeared to be his future son-in-law. Glaring at the man that was about to take away his little girl just after he was starting to get her back, he decided to let him know how it was in his world. "You hurt her, I hurt you. Got it?"

"I hurt her and their will be a long line of people wanting to hurt me, starting with me."

"Actually, starting with me." Unnoticed by the three, another young woman had come up behind the couple to join the conversation. Brunette, fairly tall, she had the look of a scholarly grad student. Stepping forward she wrapped Lucy in a hug. "How are you, Luce?"

"Dawn, what are you doing here? You should be in London still for that conference."

"Nah, I got back this morning. Con and I saw the news footage of you two and made a call to find out where you were being taken. We headed over here ASAP. Of course, that was a fun little adventure as Connor was driving and there were all the accidents we had to find our way around. I would have been in sooner but Destructo-boy here left the car running in the emergency ambulance entrance. I had to find some place to park it." Connor's cheeks tinted a little red.

"I was worried," he sheepishly commented.

"You could see on the TV she was fine, you nut." Trying to stop an argument she was sure would follow between the pseudo-siblings, she introduced her best friend.

"Dad, this is my bestest friend in the whole world, Dawn Summers. Dawn, this is John McClane, my dad."

"Nice to meet you."

"Well, he doesn't seem half the bastard you made him out to be." The three others stared at Lucy as she took her turn for her face to blaze red.

"I have no idea what she is talking about. Connor, I'm hungry and I'm sure my dad is too by now. Let's go get something to eat." He lifted his free hand to her cheek and lightly traced the bruise starting to form there.

"Why don't you stay here with your dad and Dawn and I will fun across to the café on the corner and bring back some burgers?" He helped her sit down on the empty gurney and kissed the top of her head. Turning to lead the way out of the hospital, "Come on, Dawn."

"Hold your britches, I'm coming. We'll be right back. And then I want the entire 411 on what happened earlier, girlie. And you too, Muscles." Dawn then hurried to catch up the swiftly exiting Connor. The remaining two were quiet for a few moments before John starts to chuckle.

"I like them."

"Me, too. Wait until you spend some time with them. You'll either want to laugh your head off or strangle them in their sleep."

"And they are your friends?"

"Eh, they grow on you, like a mold. Kind of like you." She grinned.


End file.
